Most trailers are equipped with a spare tire to help get the trailer back on the road in the event of a flat. Unfortunately, such are of little use when a wheel bearing burns out—an all too common occurrence with trailers employed in hauling pleasure boats from place to place. A burned-out bearing, of course, prevents a wheel, regardless of the condition of its tire, from turning easily.
Trailer wheels are subject to far more abuse than those of typical automobiles. For example, trailer wheels are regularly idled for long periods of time allowing bearing lubricants to deteriorate. Subsequently, they are towed at high speeds, over rough roads, and with heavy loads. Then, in the case of boat trailers, they are submerged in water resulting in: the corrosion of bearing surfaces, the washing away of lubricants, and the introduction of abrasives into wheel bearings. Subsequent towing of the trailer often causes bearing failure wherein a trailer and its more valuable cargo are left unattended on the side of the road while the user seeks help in the form of a welder to replace the failed bearing.
Some have proposed emergency wheel assemblies for temporarily replacing the wheel of a trailer that cannot be turned due to the failure of its bearing or other mishap. These assemblies may be successful in getting a trailer down the road, but since they are connected directly to the frame of a trailer, they present a boat or other thing carried by the trailer with a jarring ride. Under extreme conditions, a boat hull or other thing being carried by the trailer can be severely damaged during a rough ride. A need, therefore, exists for a spare wheel assembly that can be connected to the suspension of the trailer for presenting a smoother ride to a trailer's cargo.